2024 TWR Syrah SV 5182

Syrah is a labour of love for us at Te Whare Ra. There are very few producers in the area (and in fact not many in the South Island) who make this variety – so it’s a bit left field for Marlborough. Our site is warmer than many, which means we have the length of growing season required to ripen Syrah, and our soil type (which has a higher clay content) is well suited too. Syrah requires a lot of careful attention in the vineyard to make it work here – but when done well, the results are more than worth it.

We planted our first Syrah here on the home block in 2004 but this is only our 12th release of Syrah as we do not release when the wine is not up our exacting standards. The 2024 release is a blend of two clones (470 & 174) It exhibits the great fragrance, savouriness and suppleness that we love about cool climate Syrah. Production of 150 cases.

The 2024 Syrah exhibits fragrant notes of mulberry, black pepper and violets with some complex savoury notes and hints of coffee and spice. The ripe, subtle tannins combine with concentrated flavours of mulberries and omega plums and spice. The palate carries onto more savoury and complex flavours and finished with a lingering persistence of fruit, fine tannin and well integrated oak.

Without a doubt one of the most exciting, complex and delicious Syrahs’ I have tasted in 2025. I have tasted this wine previously and loved it then, even more so now. It is in a perfect drinking window and will stay there for some time to come. The bouquet is slow to open yet as it unfurls it is captivating, intriguing and engages my curiosity meter all at once. Complex and dry, a core of dark berries and spices, mineral earth and earth-smoke scents of dark clay and sunbaked rocks. Flavours of dark raspberry and boysenberry – fresh and baked versions, some meat and charcuterie, sweet oak and baking spice layers. Tannins are polished with a coarse-silk texture, volumous and rich in texture, the acidity delivers backbone and carries the power of fruit and spice elements. A fantastic wine with a lengthy finish. I tasted this wine over 3 days and each time I was captivated and impressed. 97 points. Cameron Douglas MS

Dark opaque purple. There’s plenty of intensity on the nose and whilst there is some gentle, sweetly spiced new oak, this doesn’t dominate and instead the vivid blueberry, black cherry and violet florals shine. This is very youthful so (as expected) tannins are present but they are chalky and fine. There’s freshness and drive despite its concentration and depth. A perfectly judged, polished wine. Drinking  2027–2032. 95 points. Jane Skilton MQ, The Real Review